T-Mobile Confirms 3G iPhone in Austria?

[MacRumors]

According to Austrian newspaper Der Standard, T-Mobile Austria has confirmed the 3G iPhone. According to the article, T-Mobile announced at press conference in Vienna that the 3G (UMTS) version of the iPhone will soon be available and that Austria will be the test market for the new phone. Austria will reportedly be one of the first countries worldwide to receive the new phone. The new phone is also said to be available with more "flexible" pricing.

Few other details are provided and there appear to be no other reports of this press conference online. Meanwhile, Fscklog.com contacted T-Mobile Austria and their reply was (translated) "Yes, we plan to bring the iPhone with UMTS-support to market, but can't and are not allowed to say when yet."

Apple launched the original iPhone in Austria less than two months ago. There have been other recent reports that several European countries will be launching the 3G iPhone in the coming weeks to months.

Article Link

[DMann]

with the 3G iPhone......

[quigleybc]

"where in the world is the 3G iPhone"


it's like an iPhone roadmap of the globe.

[Hooka]

T-Mobile is a great cell phone company with excellent customer service. I wish t-mobile was caring the iPhone here in the US. Once I switch from T-mobile to At&t I have been hating my phone service. ATT is just a rebrand of like 4 cell phone companies that never could do anything right. If Apple ever opens the iPhone to T-mobile in the US I would wait overnight outside of a T-mobile store so I could switch my number as fast a possible.

[swagi]

I think it's a pretty cool decision. The iPhone has generated so much buzz in Austria, it only makes sense. Perfect marketing would be, if T-mobile presented one to the Austrian chancellor.

(in case you don't know, there was a very intense debate over the Austrian chancellor using a jailbroken and unlocked iPhone)

[avigalante]

Originally Posted by quigleybc

"where in the world is the 3G iPhone"


it's like an iPhone roadmap of the globe.

LOL. Definitely sounds like a worldwide roadmap of the 'oh-so elusive 3G iPhone'.

1-month and counting till WWDC... I'm sure in the mean time, we'll hear from other countires as well.

[markrich]

Get rid of that revenue sharing nonsense which has alienated so many mobile providers. It hasn't proven to be a big hit else we would have seen the iPhone in all European countries.

Let us buy our phone unlocked in any EU state - as the law allows, and/or allow providers to discount the phone/provide for free as they do for any other suppliers.

Does Apple think Nokia and Sony-Ericsson would have become big players if they started asking their customers for a share of their revenues as well?

[Manic Mouse]

So how would existing customers upgrade to the new 3G phone? Do we have to wait until our 18month contract is up or can we transfer it to any new iPhone we buy?

[emulator]

yes, the European GSM market is more smart than other markets. Of course they could not sell **** at full prioce with no 3G in EU.

[Hooka]

Originally Posted by Manic Mouse

So how would existing customers upgrade to the new 3G phone? Do we have to wait until our 18month contract is up or can we transfer it to any new iPhone we buy?

Update your phone whenever you want, your contract will just start over from the day you activated your new phone.

[gkarris]

Originally Posted by Hooka

T-Mobile is a great cell phone company with excellent customer service. I wish t-mobile was caring the iPhone here in the US. Once I switch from T-mobile to At&t I have been hating my phone service. ATT is just a rebrand of like 4 cell phone companies that never could do anything right. If Apple ever opens the iPhone to T-mobile in the US I would wait overnight outside of a T-mobile store so I could switch my number as fast a possible.

I'm hearing that it won't at all be likely..

ZiPhone is your friend....

[blaaat]

Austria has way better 3G than the rest of europe.
They have really cheap 7.2mbit coverage, so sounds logical that they are the 'test market'.

[thefunkymunky]

Originally Posted by Hooka

Update your phone whenever you want, your contract will just start over from the day you activated your new phone.

That didn't happen in the UK with O2 when the 16GB iPhone was launched though. Existing users could just buy the 16GB and just carry on with the existing contract, it didn't start again from scratch.

[swagi]

Originally Posted by emulator

yes, the European GSM market is more smart than other markets. Of course they could not sell **** at full prioce with no 3G in EU.

So...could you then please elaborate, why the Nokia 8800 sells in Europe?

I currently have the option to renew my contract with o2 in Germany. They offer me the Samsung F490 for 119 €. And I'm really in a bad situation now, as I have to decide within the next week. So any hard iPhone V.2 info would be greatly appreciated.

Just gave my wife an iPhone last night. She likes it a lot. And she could care less about 3G.

Ooooooh, I'm so torn....

[Mykbibby]

Test Market? I don't like the sound of that.

If the US isn't a "test market", I think I'm gonna shoot myself.

[Mackan]

Originally Posted by Mykbibby

Test Market? I don't like the sound of that.

If the US isn't a "test market", I think I'm gonna shoot myself.

Go ahead.

[FarSeide]

Originally Posted by Hooka

T-Mobile is a great cell phone company with excellent customer service. I wish t-mobile was caring the iPhone here in the US. Once I switch from T-mobile to At&t I have been hating my phone service. ATT is just a rebrand of like 4 cell phone companies that never could do anything right. If Apple ever opens the iPhone to T-mobile in the US I would wait overnight outside of a T-mobile store so I could switch my number as fast a possible.

Where I live, T-Mobile sucks with their horrible customer service. Perhaps where you live you have a better reception using T-Mobile than AT&T. Where I live, AT&T is far better than any other service providers especially T-Mobile.

If you hate your phone service so much, stick to your sidekick on T-Mobile.

[jasetower]

Ouch! Can you imagine the uproar if Steve announced at WWDC that Austria would be the first country to receive the 3G iPhone as a test market and the US would have to wait several months to get it?!

Rioting at Apple stores everywhere!

[Mykbibby]

Originally Posted by Mackan

Go ahead.

Thanks for the support in my time of distress Kramer (you'll get that if you're a diehard Seinfeld fan ;-).

[epardilla]

Mozart must have one already!!!

[Penguinwrangler]

Ouch! Can you imagine the uproar if Steve announced at WWDC that Austria would be the first country to receive the 3G iPhone as a test market and the US would have to wait several months to get it?!

Rioting at Apple stores everywhere!

This would-be 3G iPhone consumer would be more than a little cranky about this.

[amac4me]

Austria as the test market ... I have a hard time believing that.

[7on]

Originally Posted by FarSeide

Where I live, T-Mobile sucks with their horrible customer service. Perhaps where you live you have a better reception using T-Mobile than AT&T. Where I live, AT&T is far better than any other service providers especially T-Mobile.

If you hate your phone service so much, stick to your sidekick on T-Mobile.

T-mobile customer service rocks (at least USA, I hear that DT is mostly borgish elsewhere). Maybe you just got a pissy dude one day, but in my experience it's like calling a relative on the phone. Sometimes we just end up chatting about things that are happening

AT&T and T-mobile use the same towers. It's impossible to have bad reception with one and good with the other using the same cell phone.

In other news, hear the rumor about DT potentially bidding for Sprint? o.O I don't want that to happen. GSM/CDMA/iDEN all under one roof? Billing nightmare.

[Lyra]

To me it sounds very UN-Apple like to do a test market outside the US, then to make it even more unlikely, include a brand new technology like the 3G in their product line.

Nope, it doesn't sound right.

Here in the UK, O2 has taken over most of Apple's iPhone 8GB, then included them in a save £100 off of the original price plan for their customers.

Only snag was that they offered this deal till the 1st of June (most likely to see the introduction of the iPhone 3G), but within two weeks or so, they were running out of stock. So they contacted Apple to get some deal going on with them, but Apple only provided a temporary deal, meaning the first xx amount of people who DIDN'T get the £100 off of the original price would be covered by Apple. But, O2 still claimed last week that if you go to the Apple store on Regent street and bought one, they'd deposit £100 onto your account.

Problem is, that when you talked to Apple about this offer, they said they've heard nothing about it. AND, they said I shouldn't risk it. So the day after I went to the O2 store to confirm what I was told in detail by this woman. The seller said it was nonsense and it was APPLE who would give the customers £100 back. Naturally Apple spokes person got upset when I told them that O2 still claims this.

So, if you get this offer from O2, don't jump for it unless they have some in stock. It's BS. I should start recording my conversations with these people so they can hear all the BS they tell the customers.

Anyway the point in all of this was that both O2 and Apple pointed to the 1st of June, when we'll see the new iPhones. Better yet, prices may drop a bit. So that's good.

Also, if memory serves, the new update for the iPod Touch and iPhone will be released in June. So it fits well with the connections around town and online.

JUNE 1st or around that time is when I expect to see the new 3G iPhones.

[WannaGoMac]

Originally Posted by 7on

AT&T and T-mobile use the same towers. It's impossible to have bad reception with one and good with the other using the same cell phone.

Really? Love to see a citation to back this up...